Overview
This book is about the rise of the party-state in Kenya and what this case can tell us about the source of variations in patterns of governance on the African continent. Because of the character of the evidence used in the study, the presentation necessarily includes a fair amount of historical detail. To simplify the reader's task, chapters 2 through 5 are organized chronologically, each detailing the dominant strategies the State House used to maintain order, the relationship between KANU and the State House within that strategy, and the reasons for changes in these. Chapter 2 provides a more complete discussion of the Kenyatta era than was offered in the introduction. Chapter 3 shows the pressures to which the Kenyatta strategy was subject between 1972 and 1978, the period of the founder's illness, and the consequences of the changes made at this time. Chapter 4 analyzes the early years of the Moi government, including the grounds for initial expectations that Moi would repeal some of the more repressive aspects of the Kenyatta state. Chapter 5 charts the shift in political strategies that took place under Moi, the reconfiguration of KANU, and the subsequent effects of these changes on patterns of debate and association. Chapter 6 discusses the 1985–90 period of consolidation and charts the struggles of some Kenyans to
oppose KANU's new role. The final chapter offers a summary of the study, places the Kenyan case in comparative perspective, and discusses the specific contributions of its findings to current discussions of "governance" in Africa.
To one actively engaged in current Kenyan politics, this account is likely to seem incomplete. The intention is to identify the key elements and processes taking place. The many subplots and subthemes that make Kenyan politics so fascinating are not part of this account, partly because of the difficulty of such research in the current climate and partly because of the need to protect the identities of those who have contributed to this case study.[59] The task of refining and improving this understanding will necessarily lie with others.